James lee



UNTED STATES PATENT Gerlos.

.IAMES LEE, OF NEW BRIGHTON, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS YV. LEVY, EDWARD DREYFUS, AND PHILIP HEGH'I, ALL OF NEW YORK, N.- Y.

OPTOM ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,088, dated November '7, 1882.

Application filed March 23,1882. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: y

Be it known that I, JAMES LEE, of New Brighton, Richmond county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful 1m- 5 provenients in Optometers, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Myinrention relates to an instrumentknown rc as an optometer, and more particularly to that class in which the lenses of varying power are mounted in frames which are contained in a case, and are capable of being brought successively therein before the eyes of the person whose sight is being tested; and my invention consists in the devices hereinafter particularly described, and combined to operate as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Figure l is a front elevation of an Optometer containing niyinvention. Fig.2isasimilar elevation, with the front side of the inclosing case removed and showing the interior mechanism, and Fig. 3 isal side vertical section on the line w x, Fig. 2. v

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts.

A is theinclosiugcase of the instrument, and is preferably constructed with the sides a, which are fixed in a base, a', and with the front a? in 3o the form of a plate, slid into the grooves a3 in the sides, as shown. This front has the eyeopenings a4, and the opening a5 between and extending below the line of said eye-openings, through which opening a5 the nose of the per son using the optoineter may be projected, so that the eyes may be brought closely to the openings a4. A slide, preferably of sheet metal, may be employed, as shown at a, working in the grooves a3 on the exterior of the plate 0,2,

4o to cover or close the openings a4 and a5 when the instrument is not in use. The back ofthe case is preferably in two pieces, af' and a8, working in grooves 19in the sides a, as shown, the plate a7 being fixed,and the plate a being 4 5 capable of being slid upward to entirely close the back, or downward to open a path of vision through the case from theeye-openings a4 on the front. A lid,0t, which may be removable, is provided, as shown. I have described what is a desirable form of case, but the structure thereofmay be Varied in its mechanical details.

At B are shown the lens frames or holders, in the openings b of which are set the testinglenses. These lens-frames are secured at one of theirlongitudinal edges upon astrip or sheet of exible material-such as strong clothwhich is shown atb', and are arranged closely together on said strip, with their at sides adjacent to each other, as shown.

At C is shown a shaft mounted in bearings in the sides, at or near the bottom of the case, land at C is another shaft mounted in bearings in the sides, at or about the upper part of the case. The strip or sheet b', to which the lensholders are tixed, as described, is of such a length as to extend from one shaft to the other, at one side thereof in the case, as' shown, so that one end lnay be in line with the axis of one of the shafts, while the other end is in line with the axis of the other shaft. 7o

At D is a belt, to one face of which, and about midway of its ends, is xedly secured the strip b', bearing the lens-frames. This may be accomplished, as shown in the drawings, by means of fastening-screws d, passing through the belt, and thence through the strip b' and into the material of the frames. which are at the ends of the strip. The belt D is passed around the upper shaft, U', and its free ends, beyond the ends of the strip b', are passed to and secured xedly upon the shaft U, said free ends of the belt heilig of such a length beyond the ends of the strip b that when said strip is extended from one shaft to the other, on one side thereof', one end of the belt will reach from the end of the strip b which is contiguous to the shaft C to the shaft C, and the opposite free end will be of substantially the same length beyond the opposite end of the strip b', and will be wound or coiled upon the shaft C, as shown. The upper shaft, C', is preferably squared to conform to the edges of the lens-frames, except at its middle, where it may be rounded to form a bearing for the belt D, as seen at c', and said shaft may be pro- 95 vided with the broad washers c2 at its ends within the case to prevent the ends of the lensframes from scraping on the inside of the case.

The shaft C has the knob or handle c outside the case, by means of whichit may be operated.

The lens-frames are preferably formed with their outer longitudinal edges cut away or concaved, as at b2, between the lens-openings, to permit theframes, in their movementin thecase,

Vto pass the nose ot' the person using the instrument, that organ being projected through the opening a5 in the case. By means of this opening a5 and the concaves b2, I am enabled to have the users eyes brought close to the eye-openings 0.4. and hence as near as possible in an instrument of this description to the lenses in the frames B.

It is evident that the lenses of varying power or grades may be arranged in succession in the frames mounted on the strip b', and that by means ofthe said stript', the shafts C and C', and the belt D, constructed and arranged as specified, the lenses may be brought successively in range with the veye-openings a* by simply turning the handle or knob c of the shaft C; also, that the slipping or uncertain movement of the lens-frames on the shafts, which is liable to occur when the frames are attached to an endless beltsimply passed around the shafts, is wholly avoided, the motion given to the strip b', carrying the lens-frames in my device, being a positive motion through the belt D, and their appearance in succession above the shaft C in the range of vision being secured with regularity and precision.

It is also evident that in arranging the instrument to test the sight it is not necessary Ato examine the lenses through the eye-openings a* in order to bring the lens of the low-- est grade or power opposite to said openings as the initial lens to be used in the test, but that, the lenses being arranged in a regular order as regards power on the strip b', by simply turning the shaft -(J in one direction until its motion reaches its limit on the belt D the lenses will all be upon one side of the shafts in the case, and the first ot' the series will be the initial one to appear in the range ofthe eye-openin gs a4.

The object to which the vision is directed through the lenses, in using theinstrnment, may be held, in a suitable support, in line with the opening in the'back of the case opposite to the eye-openings, which support may be wholly detached and distinct from the instrument.

I am aware that optometers have been made in which aseries of lenses have been fixed to an endless belt mounted on shafts, so that by revolving the shafts the lenses are successively #presented to the vision of the experimenter.

I do not claim broadly such a construction and arrangement of parts.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In an optometer, the combination of the inclosing case A, the described lenses fixed on the flexible strip or apron b", the shafts C and C', and the belt D, secured to said strip or apron, and having its opposite ends fixed to and adapted to coil upon said shaft C, all as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an optonieter, the combination of the inelosing case A, having the nose-opening a5 between the eye-openings a4 on the front thereof, and the lens-frames B, capable of being passed atwise successively around the shaft C', and having the notches or concaves b2 in their outer longitudinal edges, between the lens-openings b, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an optometer composed of a case, A, containing` a series ot' lenses, B, capable of being carried by a belt or apron successively into the range of vision through the instrument, the sides e of the case, fixed in the base a', and having the bearings of the operatingshafts, the front plate, a2, in which are the eyeopenings, working in the grooves co3, together with the sliding cover, a6 and the plate ai, fixed in grooves a9, and plate a, sliding in said grooves and constituting the back, all as described.

c JAMES LEE.

Witnesses:

A. G. N. VERMILYA, A. S. Frroi-I. 

